


From Doghouse to Frying Pan

by penguingal, Schnaucl (Onetrackmind)



Series: Close to Home [1]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: M/M, comment porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-15
Updated: 2007-01-15
Packaged: 2017-11-21 04:48:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/593615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguingal/pseuds/penguingal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onetrackmind/pseuds/Schnaucl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colby's in Don's doghouse.  Falling for his little brother probably won't get him out of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Doghouse to Frying Pan

Colby tapped his pencil against the stack papers in front of him, his mind wandering to his own problems again instead of focusing on the case they had in front of him. The only other sound in the room was the clicking of the laptop keys under Charlie's capable fingers and the occasional hum or whistle as his genius brain turned over a new thought. He couldn't help the amused smile as the younger Eppes toiled away, at least as tenacious as his older brother. He cleared his throat softly. "Charlie?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
He paused. "There was just--I was thinking..." Shaking his head, Colby sighed. "You know, never mind. Sorry."  
  
"Okay," Charlie said. He turned back to his equations, only lifting his head when the computer started running his new algorithm. He cocked his head to the side, a slightly confused expression on his face. "What was it you were going to say before?"  
  
Colby looked up to find big brown eyes watching him closely. "Nothing." But Charlie raised his eyebrows and he knew he wasn't going to get away with that answer. He sighed again. "I was just wondering how long I could count on being in your brother's dog house is all."  
  
"Ah. That." Charlie looked away. He picked up the compass from his desk and started tossing it hand to hand. "Don is--there are some things he won't forgive," Charlie said softly. "He'll be civil to you. After a while he'll trust you with minor things again. Give it a month or two. Six months or a year and most of the time it'll be like it never happened."  
  
"Most of the time?" Colby asked, sitting back and trying to look nonchalant. It wasn't quite the answer he'd been expecting.  
  
"He doesn't forget. And I'm honestly not sure where what happened falls on his list of unforgivables. But--I think it's probably up there."  
  
Colby nodded grimly. It was about what he had feared, though he couldn't deny having hoped to be wrong. "Sounds to me like you're talking from experience."  
  
"Yeah." He glanced at the screen, but the computer was still busy calculating.  
  
"It's okay," Colby assured him, smiling gently. "I wasn't gonna ask."  
  
"Thanks." Most of the time he didn't blame Don for still being angry about how he'd spent their mother's remaining time. How could he, when he hadn't been able to forgive himself.  
  
"Give him some space, show him you're sorry. Don't bring it up but just--work extra hard. Do extra shifts or something. He won't be angry forever. It just might feel that way sometimes. And David and Megan have your back. I get the impression they both think Don's being overly harsh."  
  
Colby tapped his pencil on top of the papers again. "Yeah, well... I'm not sure I can really blame him either. I should have gone straight to him and I didn't. I just didn't want to believe it and going to Don would have made it true. And look what almost happened." He tossed his pencil on the desk and leaned back.   
  
"Besides, after the places Don's gone in his head, I'm not surprised it's taking him some time to come back."  
  
Charlie hesitated, and then said very softly, "I'm really worried about him."  
  
Colby glanced around instinctively to make sure Don wasn't anywhere nearby, even though they were at CalSci. It always seemed like as soon as he opened his mouth about another person, they ended up being directly behind him. He strolled over to where Charlie was sitting. "I've seen guys cross all kinds of lines before, some of them for the right reasons, some of them not. And I've seen guys lose their way because of it. I don't think Don's one of them, but the sooner he forgives himself for what he did, the sooner he'll be back."  
  
Charlie shook his head. "He doesn't forgive himself, either. The stuff with Crystal and Buck, that was understandable. But it's not just that."  
  
He propped his hip gently on the edge of Charlie's desk. "What else is it?"  
  
"I've heard he's been threatening suspects in interrogation. Not like he normally does but--like he's almost out of control. He hasn't been physically violent with them, at least, not that I've heard. He hasn't, has he?"  
  
"No." He hesitated, but then added, "not yet."  
  
Pushing himself off the desk, he paced a little and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "You're not wrong, unfortunately. We've all noticed that Don's running a little hotter than usual. But I doubt he'd listen to us."  
  
It felt worse having someone actually confirm his fears. "Is there anyone he will listen to?"  
  
Colby smiled and placed a gentle hand on Charlie's shoulder. "I was sorta hoping he might listen to his little brother. Can't you come up with a formula or something that'll show him how stupid he's being?"  
  
"I can try, but--he doesn't really talk to me about this kind of thing. And when we do talk about it, half the time it ends in a fight."  
  
He squeezed Charlie's shoulder. "I wish I had something more comforting to offer. We may just have to wait Don out."  
  
"Yeah." He sighed and glanced back at the computer. "Well, that helped, anyway. Looks like your suspect list had been narrowed down to four people."  
  
"Four people is manageable," he said, backing up enough to let Charlie get back to the computer.  
  
Charlie printed out his results and handed them over. "If you get more information I can probably narrow it down for you."  
  
"Thanks a lot," Colby said, taking the papers and looking at them as he headed for the door. On the threshold, he stopped and turned. "Listen... Don'll be okay. He's got too many people looking out for him to let him go too far, okay?"  
  
"Thanks Colby," Charlie said softly. "And it will get better. Don just...needs some time."  
  
"Right," Colby said, glancing down at his shoes quickly and smiling when he looked up again. "You'll come by later, explain this to everyone?" Charlie's eyes met his and he unconsciously dug the fingernails on his left hand into his palm.  
  
"Of course," Charlie smiled.  
  
He felt his pulse beat a little faster and he scrubbed his hand through his hair, trying to cover what he was sure Charlie could see. "Good. I'll see you later then." He turned as quickly as he could without looking like he was running and headed down the hallway.  
  
This was bad. He hadn't had this reaction to another man in--a long time. He'd been so careful in the army. Yeah, there'd been hand jobs with other men, even the occasional blowjob. But always, always, he'd been careful not to get too attached, to take it personally. He'd made it seem as though he was one of the rest of guys who viewed it as less than ideal but it wasn't like there were enough women around, right? Prison gay. Never mind that Colby actually _was_ gay. And the truth was, the FBI wasn't any better than the military when it came to these things. Oh, they might not have an official policy against it, but that didn't mean there weren't rules.   
  
And Charlie was his boss' brother, for God's sake. That made him completely off limits.  
  
He climbed into his car, doing his best to push his eyes and his smile and those long, strangely elegant fingers out of his mind. He could do this. It was probably just an infatuation anyway. In a few weeks, it'd be like it never happened.  
  
....  
  
The case was wrapped up and it wasn't long before they were searching for the mastermind who had managed to brainwash ordinary people into becoming assassins.   
  
Charlie knocked hesitantly on the door to Colby's apartment.  
  
Colby jumped a little at the knock, pulling on his soft, faded army t-shirt and padding toward the door. It was late and there weren't many people it could be.   
  
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath as he looked out through the peephole.  
  
He took a deep breath before he opened the door. "Hey, Charlie."  
  
Charlie's gaze darted to Colby's face and then back down. "I'm sorry, I know it's late. But--can I come in?"  
  
"Um..." Colby looked behind him, searching for a reason to refuse, but Charlie lifted his eyes again. They were big, round, and pleading, and there was absolutely no way Colby could say no. "Yeah, of course." He held the door wide for him and closed it softly.   
  
"You want a beer or something?"  
  
"No, thank you." His hands flexed uselessly at his sides. "He isn't getting better. He's getting worse, isn't he?"  
  
Despite what Charlie had said, Colby went to the fridge and opened him a beer anyway, pressing it into his hands as he walked past him to the couch.  
  
"I don't know, Charlie. The way I heard it, Megan wanted to punch out that guy's lights, too."  
  
"And it sounds like he deserved it. I think he did. And taken individually, each of Don's actions seem justified, but taken collectively a pattern emerges. Two months ago I think Don would have reacted like Megan. He'd have _wanted_ to punch the guy but I don't think he would have actually done it.  
  
He's never--I know he's had to kill people in the line of duty before. But he's never--I've never really seen him try to deal with it--react to it before. So I don't know if the fact that he reacted this time was good or bad. I was kind of hoping you could tell me."  
  
"Honestly, I can't even begin to guess at what goes on inside Don's head, Charlie," he said as mildly as he could, sitting on one end of the couch and trying not to bite his lip when Charlie sat near him. _So much for an infatuation_ , he thought glumly to himself. "But killing Crystal was personal in a way that he hasn't had to deal with before. I don't even think he knew how much it was going to affect him. That's probably not very comforting, is it?"  
  
Charlie shook his head. "I don't know how to help him. How do you--? I mean you've had to--?"  
  
"Kill someone?" Colby supplied.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He took a deep breath. "Yeah. And I'm not sure it's something someone else can help with." Colby put his hand gently on Charlie's shoulder, trying not to notice the way his curls brushed the back of his hand. "Don has to find his own way out. And I have no doubt he will. He's too stubborn not to."  
  
"So what do I do?" he asked hoarsely.  
  
"Let him know you're worried about him and tell him that you're there for anything he needs. That's what--I mean--someone did that for me, once."  
  
"Do you have any siblings?" Charlie asked, suddenly realizing he knew almost nothing about Colby that wasn't work related.  
  
"A brother. A younger brother," Colby said, smiling softly.  
  
"Oh yeah? What's his name? What's he like? Do you get along?"  
  
"Whoa easy, Charlie," Colby said, grinning. He was glad to see some life return to his features with the change of subject. "One question at a time."  
  
Charlie smiled and ducked his head ruefully. "Tell me about him."  
  
"He's a brat, but I love him. We were always too much alike to really get along when we were kids, but when we got older all of that just... didn't seem to matter anymore." He toyed with the label on his own bottle of beer. "He was the first to notice that things with me weren't quite the same when I got back from Afghanistan."  
  
"Could he help?" Charlie asked softly.  
  
Colby shrugged. "In his way. Mostly, he just listened, gave me a way to talk about the things I'd done and seen without judging me for any of them. He was also the one who suggested the FBI."  
  
"Could you talk to him? I think Don still tries to shield me most of the time." And in his heart of hearts he was grateful for that, despite his occasional attempt to fight the constraints it placed on him.  
  
Colby met his eyes. "I promise I'll try," he said softly, patting Charlie's knee where he had his leg curled under him. And if his hand lingered for just half a second too long, Colby could at least blame it on the fact it was his second beer on an empty stomach.  
  
"Oh, um, thank you. I appreciate that." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Actually I was wondering if you could talk to your brother about things like this. Or if you had the same problem Don does."  
  
Colby shook his head and grinned, a little embarrassed. "Oh! Sorry... I thought--" He shook his head again. "Yes, I could talk to Chris, eventually. He had to get me drunk to really get me to talk that first time, but it felt better after I did."  
  
"Unfortunately, Don has a better alcohol tolerance than I do," Charlie said ruefully.  
  
"That can be fixed," Colby laughed, clinking his beer bottle with the one growing warm in Charlie's hand. "Besides, younger brothers always know how to push the buttons of their older brothers to get them to do things they don't really want to do. Am I right?" His hand found its way back to Charlie's shoulder.  
  
Charlie laughed and finally took a sip of his beer. "I heard Don once said little brothers can be triggers."  
  
"On that kidnapping/gambling case, yep," he said, smiling. "He wasn't wrong either." Colby let his hand drop from Charlie's shoulder, only to realize just how close they'd been sitting together on the couch. He knew he should shift away, but he was entirely unsure how to manage it.  
  
"Yeah? What has your little brother provoked you to do?" Charlie asked, returning Colby's smile. He switched his beer bottle to the other hand, letting his now free hand rest on Colby's knee.  
  
"How do you think I ended up in the Army?" Colby replied, taking a swig of his beer and hoping it covered the slight hitch in his breathing. Charlie's hand on his knee was warm and solid. He knew Charlie was tactile, affectionate, always giving casual touches. That's all it was. Nothing more. That's what he kept telling himself.  
  
"Really? Wow. What did he do?"  
  
"Let's just say I was a really different guy then," Colby said quietly. It'd been long before he accepted himself for who he was, and typically Chris had known him so much better than he did. He'd gone into the Army just to prove Chris was wrong about him, only to discover he'd been right all along.  
  
"Okay," Charlie said, willing to let the matter drop.  
  
"So, um..." Colby started, searching to find something to fill the slightly awkward silence, "I wanted to say thanks for the work on that Brutus case. It was nice feeling like I contributed something with you."  
  
"It was nice, wasn't it? Rumor has it you've even started making little math analogies."  
  
"Little ones. Nothing as sophisticated as yours," Colby replied, abnormally pleased at the pride in Charlie's voice. Charlie's hand still rested on his knee, his thumb softly stroking the outside of the joint, which was more than enough to make Colby want to squirm.  
  
"I'll take little ones." Charlie smiled. "We really did work well together, didn't we?"  
  
"We did," Colby confirmed, clearing his throat in an attempt to keep his voice from dipping into a deeper, huskier register as he met his eyes.  
  
Charlie gaze flickered from Colby's eyes to his lips and then away. "We should do it again."  
  
"I'd like that," Colby said quietly. He didn't miss Charlie's glance at his lips, and suddenly his heart was beating much faster.  
  
"Charlie... are you--are you flirting with me?"  
  
"Um--" He hadn't meant to, hadn't even been more than vaguely aware that his feelings toward Colby had shifted.  
  
"Sorry. I'm on my second beer. Forget I said anything." Gently, he stood, letting Charlie's hand slide off his leg and swallowing the rest of his beer in one gulp. He headed toward the kitchen to put the empty in the trash, mostly just to give himself something to do.  
  
Charlie followed him. "Wait. That didn't--I'm not--I'm not good at this kind of thing."  
  
"What?" Colby breathed, air rushing out of his chest as his heart rate kicked up another notch.  
  
"I'm not good at this," Charlie repeated, stepping a little closer and toying with the edge of the counter. "Is it--are you okay with it?"  
  
All the reasons why starting something with Charlie was a bad idea ran through his head again. And they were all good, solid reasons, except Charlie was standing right there, in his kitchen asking how he felt about being flirted with. Colby decided all the reasons were crap, and, closing the slight distance between them, pulled him into a firm but still tender kiss.  
  
Charlie jerked in surprise but quickly got with the program. He pulled Colby flush against him and let one kiss turn into another.  
  
Colby's hands easily found Charlie's hip and the small of his back, holding him close. Whether it was one kiss stretching on or several kisses piled on top of one another, he couldn't say and didn't much care. When they finally broke apart, it took him a minute to open his eyes. "Wow."  
  
"Yeah," Charlie said, offering a smile. "You sure about this?"  
  
"Not at all," Colby answered honestly. "Forgetting for the moment that the Bureau isn't exactly kind to--well, to guys like me--Don would _definitely_ kill me if he ever found out."  
  
Half a smile pulled at Charlie's lips and he put a hand in the center of Colby's chest as he started to back away. "Yeah. Yeah you're probably right."  
  
Colby's arm was still around Charlie's waist and he tightened his grip, not allowing him to back up any further. "Not being sure of something never stopped me before, though," he nearly growled as he pulled him close again and claimed his lips.  
  
Charlie laughed and parted his lips, inviting Colby in. He moaned, fingers rubbing Colby's waist. "Don doesn't have to know," he whispered. No need to tell him until there was something to tell.  
  
Moaning softly, Colby decided to just continue the kiss, his tongue sweeping through Charlie's mouth, tasting him. He certainly wasn't planning on telling Don, but he wasn't entirely sure that Don wouldn't be able to figure it out. When it came to Charlie, it seemed like nothing got past him, and if things went beyond just this one night like he hoped, Colby figured he'd need to develop the best poker face in the world to keep from everything showing with just one look in Charlie's direction.  
  
His hand slipped under Charlie's shirt, caressing the warm skin, and he moaned again, the sound going straight to Colby's cock. "What about you? Are you sure?" he asked huskily.  
  
Charlie tilted his head to look at Colby and gave the question the thought it deserved. Colby was a good man, smart, honorable and attractive. "I'm sure," he said, sealing his words with another kiss.  
  
"Yeah, definitely going to have to work on my poker face," Colby muttered when the kiss broke. Charlie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and he opened his mouth to say something, but Colby silenced him with another kiss. "What do you say to taking this someplace a little more comfortable? We can save standing up in the kitchen for next time."  
  
"That a promise, Agent Granger?" Charlie teased.  
  
"Could be, Doctor Eppes. Could be," Colby teased back, taking Charlie's hand and starting to back his way out of the kitchen. He never thought he could be this light and easy around Charlie, always a little more intimidated by his genius than he'd wanted to let on. All that mattered at the moment, however, was that he _wanted_ and Charlie had said yes.   
  
He turned on the small lamp on top of his dresser as he pulled Charlie with him into the bedroom, casting a soft, warm glow in the room. Releasing Charlie, he circled around him to gently shut the bedroom door, just watching as Charlie took the room in. "I do this a lot, you know. Watch you."  
  
"You do?" Charlie asked, genuinely surprised.  
  
"Yep. I like to watch genius in action," he teased lightly, wrapping his arms around Charlie's waist and kissing a line down his neck. "You're very... appealing like that."  
  
Charlie moaned. "Good to know. Next time I'll be sure to put on a show." His voice came out as a groan and he pulled Colby's head back up to kiss him fierce and hard.  
  
Colby moaned into the kiss, surprised at Charlie's aggression. He slipped his hands under his shirt, caressing the warm, soft skin as he pushed up, making his intention clear.   
  
Charlie stepped back long enough to allow Colby to strip his shirt and cast it aside before stepping close and claiming his lips again. His hands found the skin at Colby's waist and he caressed it, content to take his time for now. This time he was the one who lowered his head to kiss and lick along Colby's jaw line and down his throat.  
  
Colby bit his lip and let his eyes drift shut, his hands exploring the contours and texture of Charlie's skin. This kind of slow torture and tenderness wasn't something he was used to and he willed himself to enjoy it. He gently walked Charlie backwards until he could lay down with him on the bed, neat and crisply made. There were some things you learned in the Army that never went away.  
  
Charlie smiled, content for the moment to hook his leg around Colby's and keep kissing him, back up his neck to reclaim his lips. He rolled them so that he was on top and he grinned down into blue eyes. "You have too many clothes."  
  
"I'm sure a genius like you can figure out what to do about that," Colby replied, reluctantly removing his hands from Charlie's skin and stretching them over his head.  
  
Charlie grinned and stripped Colby of his shirt, then spent lots of time just exploring his chest and arms, first with light touches of his fingers, then with his lips and tongue. "Some day you'll tell me these stories," Charlie said, tracing a small scar on Colby's left arm.  
  
"You're certain of that, are you?" he smirked.  
  
Charlie lifted his chin a little in defiance. "I am."  
  
"Maybe I will," Colby started, running his hands down Charlie's arm to encircle his wrists and carefully hooking his leg over his knee. He tugged, taking Charlie enough by surprise to roll him under his body and reverse their positions. "If you're very, very good to me."   
  
Leaning down, he captured Charlie's lips in a searing kiss, the hand not braced on the bed cupping Charlie gently, stroking him teasingly through his jeans.  
  
Charlie gasped and then moaned loudly, bucking into Colby's warm hand. "I can be very, very good," he purred.  
  
Long lashes brushed Charlie's cheeks as he played at coy and demure, while shamelessly pushing himself into Colby's hand.  
  
Colby swallowed his surprise and licked his lips, letting himself take in the sinful display of Charlie's body. "I don't doubt it," he said huskily before claiming Charlie's lips again and going to work on his belt and the fly of his jeans.  
  
Charlie moaned and spread his legs, giving Colby room to work.  
  
He tried to take his time, let Charlie's taste and feel wrap slowly around his brain, but ultimately his want and desire overruled him. Kneeling between Charlie's legs, he rolled his jeans and underwear down over his hips just enough to free his cock. It rested heavy and full against Charlie's belly, and Colby stroked his fingers along it almost reverently before pulling the head into his mouth.  
  
Charlie's moan quickly turned into a whimper and his fists clenched in the bed sheets. He forced a hand free to lightly rub Colby's back as he tried not to buck up into that wet heat.  
  
"So delicious," Colby murmured, taking Charlie deeper, sucking earnestly as his thumbs traced patterns in his hips. He swirled his tongue around the head, giving him a hard last suck as he pulled off and shifted to the side so he could finish stripping Charlie's clothes. His fingers trailed lightly up his thigh. "Want you."  
  
Charlie gave a slow, wicked smile. "Well then. I think you should fuck me," he said, his voice low and husky.  
  
"God I was hoping you'd say that," Colby replied, kissing Charlie deeply as he started to work at the fly of his jeans.  
  
"Let me," Charlie said, batting Colby's hands away. He wanted to perform a little slow torture of his own, unzipping Colby's pants so slowly he could almost hear the individual teeth of the zipper releasing.  
  
Colby bit his lip hard, trying to contain his whimper and not being entirely successful. He opened his eyes slowly as Charlie started to push his jeans off his hips, and he leaned down, capturing Charlie's mouth, as though knowing what he tasted like made him want it more.  
  
His kiss was fierce and hungry and Charlie let himself enjoy it for a while before he went back to stripping Colby of his clothes.  
  
Colby arched into every single teasing touch Charlie granted him until he was finally able to kick his clothes free and press their naked bodies together. "You feel so good, Charlie," he murmured, licking and nipping lightly at his collarbone and neck, careful not to mark. His hand traveled slowly down his torso to cup his balls, his finger stroking the soft spot behind them. "Want to make you feel amazing."  
  
Charlie couldn't contain his whimper of pleasure. "I'm sure you--" he broke off into a low moan as Colby found a sweet spot.  
  
Grinning, Colby stroked the same spot again and again, drinking down the little gasps and moans that Charlie made before reaching for the lubricant he kept tucked away in his nightstand. He tenderly lifted Charlie's leg, kissing the soft skin at his knee, pausing just long enough to make absolutely sure this was what Charlie wanted.  
  
"I'm sure," Charlie said quietly, firmly. He offered a smile and reached up to stroke Colby's warm skin.  
  
Smiling softly, Colby squeezed Charlie's hand before slipping one slicked finger inside him. He took it slow, steady, deciding to err on the side of caution. It was clear this wasn't the first time Charlie had done this, but he wasn't taking any chances.  
  
Charlie moaned again, trying to relax and open himself to Colby. He appreciated the other man's care. It wasn't his first time, but it had been a while.  
  
Murmuring soothing nonsense, Colby continued prepping Charlie, trying not to think about how tight and hot he was around his fingers and how he was going to feel wrapped around his cock. By the time he got to the third finger, Charlie was moaning continually and pushing into his hand. He gently slipped his fingers from his body and lined himself up, just the head barely penetrating. "Ready?"  
  
"Yes!" Charlie said, voice almost a growl.  
  
Colby relented at last, pushing steadily into Charlie, not trying to move too fast, but not wanting to torture either of them any longer. His head dropped between his shoulders and he moaned, the feel of being inside him even better than he could have imagined. "Oh, fuck."  
  
Charlie laughed breathlessly. "You can say that again."  
  
Also laughing, Colby started to move, setting an even, steady pace. He pushed forward far enough to be able to lavish attention on Charlie's nipples and chest, one hand groping blindly for his on the bed.  
  
Charlie wrapped his fingers around Colby's, his other hand busy stroking and teasing. He tried to move with Colby, clenching his own muscles for added sensation.  
  
"G-gonna make me come doing that," Colby gasped, pushing a little harder, a little needier into Charlie.  
  
Charlie laughed, low and soft. "And the problem with that is?"  
  
"Wanna make this last."  
  
"It's okay, Colby," Charlie said gently, running his fingers along Colby's jaw, making him lift his eyes to his face. "I wasn't planning on going anywhere."  
  
"No?" Colby asked, more seriously than he'd intended.  
  
Charlie paused a second, realizing that it was true. He was more than willing to find out what happened next. "No," he replied, just as seriously. "Let go, Colby. We have time."  
  
Colby nodded and began to thrust in earnest, his free hand wrapping around Charlie's cock and stroking firmly.  
  
Charlie keened deep in the back of his throat as he rode through Colby's thrusts, one hand locked around his bicep.  
  
He wanted to hold back a few more moments, but Charlie was too hot and slick, the feel of him and the sounds he made too good for that. His control snapped, and he thrust into Charlie one last time before shuddering through his release.  
  
Colby's orgasm pushed Charlie over the edge and he cried out as he came.  
  
Moving hands that felt clumsy and slow, Colby petted and soothed him as best as he could. He slipped from Charlie's body with a groan and stretched out beside him, gathering him in his arms. "Thank you," he whispered.  
  
"For what?" Charlie asked, snuggling against him.  
  
"I don't know," Colby said, ducking his head, a little embarrassed. "For this. For your tenderness. It's... new for me."  
  
"Then we'll have to practice," Charlie said lightly, bringing a finger up to stroke Colby's cheek.  
  
Colby grinned, nuzzling into the soft touch. "I'd like that. Quite a lot."  
  
"Good. I have it on good authority I'm quite the teacher, you know."  
  
"There's no question there," Colby said, kissing him lightly.  
  
Charlie smiled and settled his head on Colby's chest, listening to his heart beat steadily in his chest. He traced soft, random patterns into his skin, as thoughts of Don settled around him again.  
  
After a moment, Colby wrapped his fingers in Charlie's. "I'm glad I could at least help you take your mind off it for a while," he said gently.  
  
"Me too. You'll still talk to him, right?" Charlie asked softly.  
  
"Of course," Colby replied, kissing his knuckles. "I'll try."  
  
He stroked his hand over Charlie's shoulder over and over, just listening to him breathe. "You're welcome to stay here tonight... I mean, if you want to."  
  
"Thank you. I'd like that."  
  
Colby pulled the covers up around them and snuggled Charlie against his side, smiling at how comfortable he felt there before reaching over and turning out the lights. The last thing he felt before drifting off was a light kiss pressed to his lips and soft curls settling themselves against his shoulder.


End file.
